Course Data Stage 2 University of Greenwich
This project represents the University of Greenwich’s contribution to the JISC initiative to encourage universities to adopt a data standard for eXchanging Course Related Information with associated Course Advertising Profile (XCRI-CAP).
The University of Greenwich offers over 1,000 programmes, undergraduate and postgraduate, full-time and part-time, on campus as well as by distance learning and at UK and overseas collaborative partners. Information about these varied programmes has to be supplied to a variety of internal and external users: quality assurance, programme reviews and approvals, management information systems, existing students, the website and prospectus, HESA, and UCAS, to name a few. Collecting and maintaining this information in such a way that fit-for-purpose text can be made available quickly and accurately for all types of users is a major challenge. The adoption of a data standard for course-related information would bring major benefits in terms of consistency and efficiency, and is particularly important in the context of the production of the new Key Information Sets (KISs).
Stage 2 of the XCRI project will build on our experience at stage 1 of completing the JISC self-assessment framework of readiness to implement XCRI. A ‘quick and dirty’ XCRI-CAP feed that is being produced under stage 1 will also be used to assess the information already held and its quality. Stage 2 of the project will create an XML data document of programme information to the XCRI-CAP standard with a COOL Uniform Resource Identifier (URI), including sourcing any mandatory or important information that is currently missing. Moreover, it will embed the production and maintenance of this document within the University’s existing procedures, to ensure that its usefulness continues beyond the end of the project. It will also develop procedures for ensuring that the XCRI-CAP output is used by the university wherever appropriate, creating greater consistency and efficiency in the internal and external provision of information. The project team will evaluate the project’s achievements and impact and will disseminate this information and the lessons learnt within the University of Greenwich, to our collaborative partners, and to the wider JISC/ HE community.
Objectives
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To adopt the
XCRI-CAP standard for programme information at the University of Greenwich and produce an
XCRI-CAP feed of programme information with a COOL URI by September 2012.
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To embed the collection of and updating of the
XCRI information within agreed programme/ module approval and review procedures by June 2012, in order that accurate and fit-for-purpose programme/ module information can be collected in an efficient manner.
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To embed the use of
XCRI information in internal and external presentations of programme and module information (such as the website) by Mar 2013 so that the information can be assured to be consistent and accurate.
Anticipated Outputs and Outcomes